My love for you
by ChuckBass
Summary: Everyone on the day he was going to propose, she left, leaving only a note. Six years later, fate has them meet up again. This is apple01 story.
1. Chapter 1

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**Title: **Our Love Is Like A Rose

**Couples: **Brooke/Nathan, Peyton/Lucas, (Haley is probably going to be by herself)

**Disclaimer:I do not own any of this story nor the idea it was by apple01, but as she has not continued this story over year I would love to finish it for her.**

**Summary: **

Love? What is love? What defines the moment of falling head over heels in love with someone? Is it something you can control? Is it apart of fate? Are we destined to be with certain people? Is it out of our control? Or do _we_ get to choose who we spend the rest of our lives with? Who we marry, cherish, and love till death do us part? Is there such a thing as true, never-ending love? Or is it a false perception? Do all people believe that they will one day fall in love or find the person of their dreams? Do _you_ believe in love?

They were the perfect couple. She was head of the cheerleading squad. He was the varsity basketball captain. She was Prom Queen. He was Prom King. They were voted as the fairy tale couple all through high school. Everyone thought their love was unbreakable, so strong it could withstand anything. However, on the first day of summer after graduation, the day he was going to propose to her, everything changed. She left, leaving only a note, breaking both their hearts in the process. Now, six years later, fate has them meet up again in an unexpected situation. Two individuals journey through the road of heartbreak and true love as they try to make peace with past mistakes while dealing with feelings from long ago.

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"_Some of the best __**lessons**__ we ever learn are learned from __**past mistakes**__. The error of the __**past**__ is the wisdom and success of the __**future.**__" –Dale E. Turner_

"_You must learn from your __**past mistakes**__, but not lean on your past __**successes.**__" –Denis Waitley_

"_When you make a __**mistake**__, don't look back at it long. Take the __**reason**__ of the thing into your mind, and then look __**forward. Mistakes**__ are __**lessons**__ of wisdom. The __**past**__ cannot be __**changed**__. The __**future**__ is yet in your __**power.**__" –Phyllis Bottome_

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The rapid sound of treading high heels echoed across the vast fist floor of _Allure_, one of the top interior decorating companies in the country. The enormous glass door opened revealing a tall lean brunette, dressed in the latest fashions. She wore slimming black Marc Jacob pants and a dark green Chanel baby doll tank accessories with emerald studs and black Jimmy Choo open-toe pumps. Her dark chocolate brown hair flowed over her shoulders in loose curls while her almond-shaped hazel eyes were hidden behind black Dior sunglasses. As she made her way down the floor, all surrounding workers looked up.

"Good Morning, Ms. Davis," they cried, one after the other.

She merely waved her hand as in recognition. The beauty finally stopped in front of a red head secretary, who was scribbling furiously onto a calendar.

"Jenny, do I have any messages?" asked the brunette in her famous raspy voice.

The secretary jumped out of her seat, frantically trying to clean up the mess on her desk.

"Ms. Davis! I didn't know you were coming home today!"

"Well, I couldn't stay away from California long," she chuckled. Los Angeles, California had been her home for the past six years, and she had loved every single second of it.

"Oh, of course! How was your trip? Was Paris nice?" Jenny eagerly asked, trying to be as chipper as possible through her obvious nervousness.

"Lovely like always…so, my messages?" She definitely didn't have time for small talk with her secretary, especially on the day she arrived back to the country.

"Oh yes! Um…." The red head looked around her chaotic desk, moving Starbucks cups and sticky notes, while the brunette just rolled her eyes. This could take forever. "…here it is! Your mother called. She wanted to know if you were going to attend your father's birthday party. Um…a Ms. Gattina called, says to call her back when you have time. And you have two new offers, one from New York for this month and one from London for next. I put the information on your desk."

"Thanks, Jenny." She started making her way down the hall again but stopped when she reached a door with black handles and turned back around. "Oh, and you might want to take a short break and clean your desk. It's hideous."

And with that, top fashion interior decorator Brooke Davis entered her office.

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"Rachel, I have no clue what you are talking about…"

"_Oh shut up, Brooke! You have been like MIA for the past six years ever since you and who-must-not-be-named ended. I don't see why you can't get your overly sized ass back to Tree Hill. He doesn't even live here anymore!"_

"Rach, you just don't get it…I can't go back there, and I don't plan to anytime soon. Is that too hard for your slutty head to handle?"

In her plush office chair, sat Brooke Davis, talking, or more like bantering, with her long time friend Rachel Gattina.

"_Whatev, I don't care anymore. Just know that you can't hide forever. Just because you write a note and leave doesn't mean that you don't exist anymore. People in Tree Hill read magazines. They know you didn't just drop off the face of the earth."_

Brooke rolled her eyes. Why the heck couldn't Rachel just leave it alone? She hadn't been back to Tree Hill since graduation and she wasn't planning to anytime in the future. It held too many memories, memories that Brooke had tried to run away from for the longest time, memories that haunted her like the plague, memories of a man she once loved with every ounce in her body, a man whose name she hadn't uttered since the day she left.

"So, what do you suggest I do? It's not like I can go hop on a plane and take a cruise in the Bahamas."

"_Sure you can. I would do it."_

"Well, I have something called work…you heard of it?" She could hear Rachel snort on the other side of the phone. "I've been extremely busy lately not to mention that I have two more offers which are both across the country. And I just got back from Paris this morning! So don't bitch at me."

"_You overwork yourself…when's the last time you've gone out to a bar, gotten drunk, and gotten laid? Cause FYI, you need to!"_

"Mayday, we have a problem, it's called lack of time! It's not actually easy to re-design a whole house, especially since most of my clients are millionaires…" Brooke said sarcastically. "Oh, hey, that reminds me, do you know a Ms. Sharp in New York?"

Rachel's job entitled her to know everybody and anyone in New York, especially the glamorous and elite.

"_Hmmm…there's Mackenzie Sharp. She's filthy rich, but a total whore. Georgina Sharp, who spends all her money on her ten ugly ass poodles. Christina Sharp and her daughter Nadia, who's actually engaged to―" _But she suddenly stopped talking before she could spill anything else.

"Engaged to whom, Rach?"

"_Umm…nobody, just someone I know…its nothing―"_

Brooke cut her off this time, her voice turning deep and venomous. "Rach…"

Rachel sighed on the other line. This was a useless battle to fight._ "She's engaged to Nathan, Brooke. They are going to get married at the end of the year."_

The phone slipped from the young woman's manicured nails, falling to the floor in a clatter. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried so hard to stop the tears from forming in her eyes. Her heart felt like it had been ripped apart in a million pieces over and over again. Why now? Why him? Of all people, it had to be _him_, the one guy she had fallen in love with, the one guy she never stopped loving. Nathan Scott. She knew he was going to move on, to fall in love again. She wanted him to. But hearing it now, after six years of avoiding ever thinking about it, hurt like hell. It brought back the pain, the memories, and that day she wished she could erase forever…

Regaining composure after a few minutes, she picked up the fallen phone and began speaking again, her voice not as enthused or lively.

"Rach?"

"_There you are! I thought you pulled another Brooke and fled from the scene."_ Ouch. Although, it was meant as a joke, it still shot daggers into Brooke's heart. _"So, you okay?"_

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I mean it's been six years. He was bound to find someone. The whole point was for him to move on. I've moved on," she assured.

Rachel paused for a second. She couldn't help but doubt her friend's response. _"You sure about that, Brooke?"_

Was she sure? Did the countless nights of crying, the lack of dating, her not being able to say his name mean anything? Had she moved on?

"Of course, Rach! I'm so over him. I'm actually really happy for both of them. If anyone deserves it, it is definitely him."

As she talked to her friend, Brooke couldn't help but ask herself is she was trying to reassure Rachel or if she was trying to reassure herself. Deep down, she knew it was the latter.

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_(Later that night…)_

Brooke sat quietly in her first class white plush leather seat, fidgeting with the window opener. She was dressed in a red Juicy Couture dress and matching heels with white sunglasses, trying to disguise herself from the onlookers.

_What were the chances that the Sharp that called was Nathan's fiancé? Slim, right? Yeah it had to be…Brooke, it is not Nathan's fiancé! Relax! You will go to New York, do your job and come back home, just like any other offer. Stop being paranoid! It's probably some rich grandma or something…_she thought as she pulled the opener up and down and up and down, until a flight attendant's voice interrupted her.

"Miss?"

Brooke looked up and smiled, amidst her internal raging war. "Yes?"

"Are you okay? You seem a bit tensioned. Oh, and here's your water."

_A bit tensioned. _Ha! That was the understatement of the year.

"Thank you. And yes, I'm fine." She sweetly said, giving the older lady a huge dimpled grin.

"_Attention all passengers! Welcome to Delta Airlines! It is our pleasure to have you riding with us today. In seven hours, you will be landing in New York…"_

She would have to be fine. There was no turning back now.

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"_For me, the most memorable adventures are still the perils that we face daily in life and love, from the mundane to the meaningful. Where the comedy is often at our own expense, but where the drama, even if painful, reminds us that we are living and feeling here in the real time, with the ever-recurring possibility that this latest chapter will end with new understanding, hope and perhaps even happiness." –Rupert Holmes_

"_Why is it that, as we grow older, we are so reluctant to change? It is not so much that new ideas are painful, for they are not. It is that old ideas are seldom entirely false, but have truth, great truth in them. The justification for conservatism is the desire to preserve the truths and standards of the past; its dangers, of which we are seldom aware, is that in preserving those values, we may miss the infinitely greater riches that lie in the future." –Dale E. Turner_

"_It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance. It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance. It is the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give. And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live." –Bette Midler_

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It was enormous. A magnificent dark brick mansion surrounded by the richest multicolored roses and other blossoming flowers. There was a stone fountain in front of the house, spurting water out in circles, illustrating a privileged but serene vibe. It laid on a sheet of dark green grass, freshly mowed and watered. The concrete driveway curved its way around the grass, leading up to a big black door. A door which a young twenty-four year old woman was standing in front of, contemplating whether or not she should ring the doorbell.

Taking a deep breath, her slender fingers pushed the circular illuminate button. Instantly, a melodious tune filled her ears, and the door was ajar, revealing a mid-age housekeeper.

"May I help you?" the housekeeper asked frostily, curiously eyeing the guest up and down.

The brunette smiled, amidst her jumpy nerves. "Hi, I'm here to see Mrs. Sharp."

"You are…?"

"Brooke Davis. I'm designing a house for her."

Immediately the older lady's demur changed, turning more welcoming and pleasant.

"Oh! Ms. Davis! Come in, come in! Yes, Mrs. Sharp was telling me you were due soon. Please take a seat in the living room. Madame will be down soon. Can I get you something to eat or drink?"

Brooke smirked inwardly. It still humored her how the rich were only nice to the rich, while looking down on those not in the elite.

"A glass of water would be fine. Thank you."

The housekeeper left and brought a glass of water for the brunette, while she looked around the living area. The room was certainly decorated elegantly, eluding to the Victorian age with its layout and designs. All of a sudden, the sound footsteps started filling the air, but Brooke, immersed in the collection of books by the window, did not hear them. She ran her fingers across the spine of a book, as the mystery person stopped a few feet behind her.

"Great collection, huh? My favorite is the original copy of _The Great Gatsby_ on the middle shelf."

Instantaneously, her fingers stopped moving, and her hand dropped by her side. Her face turned into a white sheet as her breath caught in her throat. That voice. She knew that voice. She had heard it on various occasions, for eighteen years to be exact. Slowly, she forced her shoes to turn around, coming face to face with a man she hadn't seen in six years.

His heart stopped as he saw the beauty in front of him. Her long chocolate locks, her slender figure, and those eyes. Those immersing hazel eyes which he had fallen in love with. The eyes he hadn't seen in six years. His own hardened into stones as he realized who was standing right there in his mother-in-law's living room. The one person he had fully given his heart to. The one he had loved so unconditionally. The one who had broken it into a million pieces. The one he now loathed with every ounce of his body.

That couldn't be him. She was just dreaming…just having a long lost nightmare…it was an illusion….a fantasy….a mirage…

"Nathan," she whispered, uttering the one name she had refused to say ever since that day she had left. The one named that had haunted her over the past six years.

It wasn't an illusion.

It wasn't a fantasy.

It wasn't even a mirage.

It was reality.

Then the world started spinning, getting hazier and hazier by the second, until everything turned black. Her limp figure started falling to the ground, only to be caught in the strong hands of the man whom she had been trying to run away from. There was no escaping now.

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She could hear faint noises. None were recognizable, though.

"I always knew Penny was a two faced manipulative bitch!"

"Calm down before you start getting wrinkles. You're only twenty three I may add. Penny wasn't even in the room."

"Maybe she put something in the water…you know I heard on the news that some housekeeper in Oregon was trying to poison all her guests. Oh my gosh! Maybe Penny was trying to kill her and then―"

"Nadia! Stop acting like a recluse. She was probably just faint from the flight. I heard the trip from California to New York is quite a terrible one."

"Maybe…it's a good thing Nathan was there to help her."

Nathan. Nathan Scott. Nathan Royal Scott. Everything started coming back to Brooke as she laid there on one of the Sharp's fancy beds. Where she was, why she had come, who she had last seen…looking at the situation now, she had two choices. She could either A) wait for the Sharps to leave the room and then sneak out, never coming back. Or she could B) face reality head on and open her eyes right then, confronting both the Sharps and Mr. Scott himself. As much as she wanted to choose the first, though, she had to decide on the latter. She was never a quitter, and when it came to her job, she always went through with every client, even if one was the devil himself. Or her ex-lover.

Slowly, she fluttered her eyelids up and down, until her eyes were open and her vision was clear.

"Thanks God, you're awake!" The cry came from a dark brownish-reddish haired beauty, who Brooke assumed was Nadia. The lady sitting on the other side of the bed with the perfectly permed honey hair must be her mother then.

"Hi," Brooke said as she started to sit upright.

"This definitely isn't how I wanted us to meet, but it is so nice to meet you! I'm Nadia and this," she said motioning to the older woman on her left, "is my mother. Are you okay?"

Brooke had to laugh. Despite the fact that she was Nathan's fiancée, Brooke was starting to like the girl. There was something about the way she talked that put her to ease. No wonder Nathan had fallen in love with her.

"Yes, I am perfectly fine. I think the flight was a bit exhausting."

"See, Nadia!" Her mother shook her head and she directed her attention now to Brooke. "She started on this absurd story of how our housekeeper was trying to poison you…my dearest apologizes, Ms. Davis, if you were uncomfortable with Penny."

"Oh, of course not! Penny was an angel. Like I said, it was the flight. And please, call me Brooke." Brooke flashed a dimpled smiled in both of their directions, reassuring them that she was okay now.

All of a sudden, Nadia jumped up from her sitting position. "Oh my gosh! I totally forgot to introduce you to my fiancé. Nathan, come here!"

The jumble of nerves which had died a second ago seemed to reappear. Her breathing became more rapid, and for a second, she thought she was going to pass out again. What was she going to say? How was he going to act? Were they going to hide the fact that they went to high school together? That they were once the most in love couple ever?

Her questions were answered as he appeared at the door, his face showing no signs of emotion. None at all.

"Nate, I wanted you to meet Brooke Davis. Brooke, this is Nathan Scott, my fiancé. She's that decorator I was telling you about who's going to do our house. Isn't that amazing?!" Nadia's bubbly voice echoed throughout the room, oblivious to the tension between the other two individuals beside her.

"Yeah, amazing," he managed to let out. Staring at the woman before him just brought back all the pain that he had tried to shut out. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Davis."

His voice was cold. Void of feeling. Every word shooting knives into a certain girl's heart. How could he be so calm when all she wanted to do was scream and run away?

"You, too, Mr. Scott," she replied instead, very politely.

"Well, why don't you two talk and Nate can tell you all about what we want. I have to attend a garden party with Mother." Nadia waved and left the room before a protest could be heard. This was the last thing either of them wanted.

They stood there in her room, enveloped by an awkward silence. Suddenly, Brooke started making her way to the door. She couldn't do this. She couldn't take it anymore. But before she could step outside, a voice stopped her.

"Why?" That one question held so much emotion. Anger, hurt, betrayal, misery, detestation.

She slowly turned to face him, mirroring a moment from earlier that day.

"What?" she whispered.

"Why? Why did you leave? Why, Brooke?"

She was lost of words. How could she tell Nathan why? How could she explain? How would he be able to get it if she herself didn't even understand why she had really left?

Instead of speaking, she decided on silence, which further prodded his anger until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Why, Brooke? Why? Why did you just disappear? I loved you! I fucking loved you! Didn't that mean anything to you?! I was going to fucking propose to you! I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you! You were my world. You were the one. But you just left! What was I not good enough for you? Did you even love me?!?" With every word that left his mouth, the volume kept on increasing until he was practically screaming in her face.

"Of course I loved you, Nathan!" She couldn't stand there anymore, letting him talk and thinking that she had never loved him. Of course she had loved him. She still did. That was the one thing she had always been sure of.

He laughed cynically. "You loved me, huh? Then why did you leave, Brooke? Huh? No answer, right? I'm not surprised," he shook his head, glaring at her, his eyes so cold and hateful. "You left a damn note, Brooke! Do you know long I spent rereading that thing? Two years. Two fucking years! Do you know how much I needed you that summer? When my mom died, when Lucas was in the hospital, when life crashed and burned? I loved you so much…How could you do that? How could you just leave me with a note and seriously expect me to be okay with you vanishing from my life? You're fucking insane."

He gave her one last glare before storming past her, towards the open door, needing to get out before the brunt of his anger got to the best of him. He stopped before the entrance and turned back to look at his ex-lover once again.

"I want to make one thing clear. I don't want to see you, and I definitely don't want to talk to you. You can decorate the damn house for Nadia's sake, but after that, I could care less if I ever saw you again. I won't ever forgive you, Brooke, for what you did. And just for the record, you're dead to me."

And with that, Nathan trudged out of the room, slamming the door closed on his way. As his figure disappeared from sight, a tear escaped and traveled down Brooke's cheek. That one tear started turning into a stream, then a river, and finally an ocean of emotion, pain, and guilt. Her fragile body slid down the wall as she cried her heart out over the raven-haired boy from her past.

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The sky was dark, a big blanket of serenity and peace. But on that one night, Nathan Scott just wasn't feeling it. He stood outside on the balcony, staring up into the heavens. Why? Why was all this happening to him? Why was he always the one who got his heart broken over and over again? Why? All he wanted was an answer. A simple answer. He closed his eyes and that morning kept on playing inside his head, over and over again like an old movie…

_Flashback_

_They had had one heck of a night. Full of passion and lust and most importantly love. He had woken up, expecting her to be sleeping soundly beside him. Instead, he was met with a pink note, sprayed with her signature perfume. _

_Dear Nathan,_

_When you finally read this, I will probably be on a plane out of Tree Hill. I needed to get out. I'm not coming back. Ever. This is for the best…please go and follow your dreams. Go to the NBA and find someone who you can spend the rest of your life with. As much as I wanted to be, I am not that girl. And I never will be. I am so sorry, Nate, for everything. I love you so much, Nathan Royal Scott, and I probably always will. Just remember that…that I love you. _

_Love,_

_Brooke_

_He had crumpled that note and threw it into a trashcan, not believing it, but after one minute, it was in his hands again, and he was rereading those words over and over until he could practically recite them. He had made over a thousand phone calls that day. He had never found her._

_End of Flashback_

Nathan closed his eyes, trying to block out the past memories as they came flooding back. A tear managed to break away from his locked up box of emotions as it slowly traveled down his cheek, falling gently on the balcony railing. She was really back. He had finally found her.

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	2. Chapter 2

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"_A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are." –Anonymous_

"_Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time." –Anonymous_

"_The truth hurts. It seems nobody can handle the truth or is willing to accept the truth" –Michael Magidson_

"_A friend is a hand that is always holding yours, no matter how close or far apart you may be. A friend is someone who is always there and will always, always care. A friend is a feeling of forever in the heart." –Anonymous_

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The sun was just coming out, slowly peeping above the horizon. It was still dark outside, but shades of pink, purple, orange, and red could be distinguished amongst the sky. One woman sat outside on the veranda, sipping her coffee and reading a magazine although her mind was in a totally different place. She hadn't slept that entire night. She couldn't sleep. She had already cried her heart out to the point where there were no tears left inside of her. She felt empty and depressed, scared and regretful. She shouldn't be feeling sad, though. This was all her fault. She had brought all this upon herself. She was the one who left, who turned the back on their relationship, who broke his heart. It was all her…the events from that previous day kept on passing through her mind over and over again… _I won't ever forgive you, Brooke, for what you did. And just for the record, you're dead to me_…the past had finally caught up to her. And all she wanted to do was run away again.

The faint sound of footsteps brought Brooke back to reality as she quickly wiped away the residue of tears on her face and pretended to be interested in the article about the Emmy's biggest fashion foes, although she was facing the opposite direction.

"Shh…do you think they are awake yet?" the first whispered.

"I thought I saw someone up here. It looked like a girl so I assumed it was Nadia. I might've been mistaken though…" mumbled the second.

Brooke continued to sip her coffee, oblivious to the talking seeing as the two were speaking in hushed tones. She just assumed it was Penny conducting her morning chores.

"Maybe we should surprise her. None of them know that we arrived early."

Person Number Two chuckled. "Sure, but just make sure she doesn't wake up the neighborhood. Bitch Sharp isn't too fond of us to start with. This would tip her off the edge."

The two mysterious individuals crept up behind the brunette, smirks gleaming upon their face. What they didn't know was that they were in for a big revelation.

"SURPRISE!!!"

Brooke shrieked deafeningly and dropped her coffee cup, which shattered with a Crash! as it hit the floor. She whipped around to lecture whoever performed the infuriating act but stopped in her tracks when she saw who was really standing in front of her.

Her face paled, and one of her hands flew up to cover her mouth in shock. Her heart started racing as she took in the figures before her.

Bouncy blonde curls. Emerald green eyes. Shaggy dirty blonde hair. Sapphire blue orbs. The baffled, broody expression written upon both of their faces.

Two individuals she had once known so well.

"Peyton? Lucas?" she managed to let out, taking in the sight of her long lost friends. People she hadn't seen in over six years.

The girl on the right couldn't utter a single word. Was it really true? Was Brooke Davis standing right in front of her? The girl who she used to call her best friend? The one who used to take Cosmo quizzes with her, stay up till midnight eating ice cream and watching chic flicks, comfort her when life was low? The one who had missed her wedding? The one who had run away with a word?

The guy on the left couldn't believe his eyes. Brooke Davis. His brother's ex-girlfriend. His best friend. The one he confided all his secrets to. The one who helped him with the girl problems. The one who he used to get drunk with when life had reached rock bottom. The one that had vanished from his life without a word, crushing his heart along the way.

He stared at her as she stood before him in disbelief. Her hazel eyes filling with tears and her face ashen from the astonishment. All he could do was mutter one word.

"Brooke."

The three just remained in their spots, not saying a word, not blinking an eye, just staring at one another amidst the haunting silence.

"What in the bloody world is going on in here?!"

The trio whisked around at the sound of an angry Mrs. Sharp.

"Peyton and Lucas Scott. I'm not surprised. Does this look like a zoo to you?! Do you think you can just waltz in my house at seven in the morning and disturb the peace?! This is an upper class neighborhood! With esteemed people in it! And what in the world did you do to poor Brooke?? The girl looks like she saw a ghost!" She rushed over to Brooke who still hadn't regained her composure. "Come on, darling. Let's get you inside. You look like you need some water. I'll get Penny to get you some."

Mrs. Sharp urged Brooke inside as she shot another venomous glare toward the remaining two, before slamming the veranda door shut.

Peyton and Lucas just stood there, staring at the retreating figures.

When Peyton finally looked towards her husband, Lucas could detect tears building up in her eyes.

"She's back, Luke. She's finally back," she whispered, disbelief weaved through her voice.

"I know, baby. I know." He reached out and held his wife as she crumpled in his arms, weeping her soul out at the sight of her once best friend.

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Dribble. Dribble. Swish!

Nathan easily placed the basketball through the hoop as he ran around the court, taking shot after shot, every one going in.

"You always did come to basketball when a problem came up…"

He stopped running and turned around to face his blonde friend, a smirk playing upon her face.

"Peyton Scott, come here you. My favorite sister-in-law." He jogged up and enveloped her in a huge hug.

"Ew! Sweaty germs! Get off!" She said as she mock pushed him. "I doubt your brother would appreciate you hitting on his wife. Oh, and by the way, I'm your only sister-in-law."

"You caught me! My secret is ruined….yes, Peyton, I have always had this undying love for you," he deadpanned, which sent the two into a hysterical fit of laughter.

"Speaking of love..." she started as she gazed up at him, "I ran into someone unexpected this morning."

Nathan instantly sobered up. "Are you okay?"

She kinked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

He sighed. Was he okay? He hadn't slept a wink last night, her face nailed into his mind. He had been so pissed off….she just thought that she could run away and waltz back six years later and everything would be back to normal. Bull shit. The thing that got to him the most was that she couldn't even explain…she had no true reason for why she left, or if she did she refused to say why…why she had broken his heart which still hadn't healed one bit…

"Yeah I'm fine, Peyt. She's back. The end."

Peyton snorted. "She's back? That's all you have to say?"

"Whatever I needed to say, I said last night," he snapped back.

"Nathan! Don't you get it?! She used to be my best friend! And your girlfriend! She just packed up and left…there has to be some damn logical reason for why she just disappeared! At least hear her out!" she yelled back. Peyton might be hurt as hell that Brooke disappeared without even telling her, but deep down she was still her best friend and she still cared about her with all her heart.

"Hear her out? Fuck that! Do you hear yourself? Do you seriously think she deserves to be heard out, Peyton? Because frankly I don't think so and I don't give a damn what she has to say!" He stormed past her and out the gym, anger boiling inside of him.

She knew as much as he did that that was a lie. He really did still care, and that scared the hell out of him.

**Disclaimer:Not my story.**

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"Why did you leave?"

Brooke looked up from her drawing and was least surprised to see the figure before her. He never backed down without a confrontation. She had been expecting him to pop his head in ever since that morning. She patted the seat beside her on the bed as she continued to draw.

"It's nice to see you, Lucas. It's been a while," she said placidly.

A while. Ha! How could she just sit there and say that so calmly? Didn't she know what pain all of them went through? How much he went through without her?

"More like six years, huh?" he spoke bitterly.

She stopped drawing and looked up at him, revealing fresh tears glazing her hazel eyes.

"Yeah, six years, three months, and five days," she let out quietly, her voice wavering from trying to not break down then and there.

He was taken aback at her response. Had she really kept track of when she had left? He could tell this pained her as much as it hurt him, and all he wanted to do was throw his arms around her and never let go. So he did.

She sobbed into his chest, letting all feeling wash over her, just letting it all out.

"I'm so sorry, Luke. I'm so sorry," Brooke cried as she clung onto his shirt for dear life.

He squeezed his own eyes shut as he felt them becoming moist. "Shhh….it's okay, B. It's okay. I'm here now."

The two sat there on her bed, wrapped up in each other's arms, trying to protect themselves from the pain that had passed its way into their hearts.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Lucas…where are you?" Peyton quietly asked to herself.

She walked around the house, searching room after room. Nadia and her mother had gone shopping. Wow, what a shocker! Peyton had never been fond of Nadia but she withstood her because she made Nathan happy. She was too perky and plastic and reminded her of one of the olden day housewives with the perfect life and all the money. Plus, she spent most of her time at garden parties or society meetings or out shopping…I mean come on! How much shopping can one girl do? But mostly, the aversion came from one simple fact. She wasn't Brooke. Nadia wasn't Brooke, and in Peyton's mind, Nathan wasn't fit for anyone who wasn't her cheery brunette friend. Or who at least used to be her best friend.

She strolled around the hallways, coming to the conclusion that her husband was currently MIA until she heard muffle cries. Peering into the adjacent room she discovered where her husband had been hiding all this time and who he had been with. The sight of both of them crying and comforting each other broke her heart. It reminded her of high school so much, and a pang passed through her as she felt eternally lonely at that moment. Peyton's shuffling caused the two sitting on the bed to glance up, catching the blonde in the act. A small smile formed on Lucas' face as he motioned for his wife to come inside. She hesitantly complied, though scared of the other girl's reaction. To her awe, a dimpled grin broke out on Brooke's face as she patted the seat in front of her and Lucas for Peyton to sit on.

"Peyton Sawyer-now Scott, it's been a while. We have a lot of catching up to do," Brooke started, her voice gentle and warm.

Peyton grinned back. "Yes, Brooke Davis, we sure do. But don't worry we have all the time in the world."

Brooke glanced up with a sly gaze, a plan brewing in her head. "Cookie dough ice cream, cheesy chic flicks, and a bag of popcorn?"

Peyton started laughing. It definitely felt like high school all over again. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

"Hoes over Bros?" The brunette stuck out her fist, halting for her friend's response.

Peyton paused for a minute, looked over at her husband and then back at her best friend as a smile appeared on her face. "Buds over Studs." She repeated the motion as their fists made contact with one another.

Lucas looked over at the two girls he loved most in the world and couldn't help but thank God that things were finally looking up. There was still a lot that had to be worked out, but for right now, the blissful expression on both those girls' faces was all that mattered to him.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Also, I think we should have like a color theme. I was thinking gold brown…I saw the greatest layout in a magazine the― Nathan? Are you even listening to me?? Nathan!?"

Nathan snapped out of his daze as he refocused his attention on his fiancé who was looking pretty frustrated right then.

"Yes, babe, I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." He flashed a smile, trying to convince her.

Nadia pouted. "Natey, this house isn't just for me. It's for us! And I want it to be perfect, so I really want to know what you think."

Her pouting right then reminded him of a moment from long ago…

_Flashback_

"_Come on, Brooke! It's just a little bit of water…I know you love the ocean," he called out to his girlfriend at that time._

_She gave him one of her famous pouts. "Nathan Scott, this bathing suit isn't for swimming! I just guess you'll have to make it up to me."_

_She turned around, her arms crossed and her head cocked, mocking anger when really she was trying her best to not burst into laughter._

_He chuckled. "Make it up to you, huh? I guess I could do that…"_

_Nathan chased after Brooke, and swooped her into his arms, giving the giggling girl one passionate kiss which eventually had turned into much more…_

_End Flashback_

"Nathan! Nathan Scott!" Nadia screamed, annoyance clearly evident.

He once again forced himself to return into reality, giving the pissed off girl in front of him a sorry look.

"Nadia, sweetie, you know this house designing stuff has never been my thing. Why don't you just choose whatever you like, okay? I'll love whatever you pick out," he reassured.

She just rolled her eyes. "Okay, then. I'll go talk to Mother about the plans."

The perky brunette gave her fiancé a peck on the cheek and then skipped out of sight. Nathan in return started walking up to his bedroom, desperately needing some sleep. He got into bed and turned towards the cherry wood bed stand. His fingers slowly opened the first drawer and extracted a miniature calendar and a ballpoint pen. Steadily, the pen started curving letter after letter on that day's block. Nathan stared at the words he had formed._ 6 years, 3 months, 5 days_.

"Good night, Brooke. Sweet dreams," he whispered before safely securing the extracted items back into their original place.

Unbeknownst to Nathan, Brooke was wishing the exact same thing for him.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"_Why is it, when you're looking for that someone, you find no one, but, once you find it, a lot more choices start showing up? But, if you leave that first love, then, they all start drifting away? Is that love's way of testing your true feelings?" –Anonymous_

"_The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can ever end." –Benjamin Disraeli_

"_Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love." –Neil Gaiman_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

It was 8:30. She was supposed to have been there an hour ago. Damn alarm clocks! Did they have to loose their batteries on the days where she actually had to do something? She was due to meet one of New York's best seamstresses, Daphne Shepherd. Daphne was going to help make the new curtains for the house, brown and gold just like Nadia had wanted. Brooke was already behind schedule and this was definitely not good. She never was a fan of pressure. Brooke rushed downstairs and out of the door, running full speed ahead without thought right SMACK! into the broad chest of another. Her caramel macchiato spilled to the ground, just missing her fallen designs.

"Oh my god! I'm so sor―" But the words instantly died in her throat as her eyes met the person's in front of her. Hard. Cold. Azure.

He snickered. "Wow, and people say you're so elegant…"

She narrowed her eyes. Did she seriously have time to listen to her ex-boyfriend's jabs this early in the morning when actually she was trying to help _him_?

"What the heck do you want, Scott? If you don't mind, I actually have people to see who _actually_ matter," she retorted. Her voice wasn't weak and calm like it had been that past day. It was full of attitude and bitchiness, something she always used in order to hide her true feelings.

"Sorry if you're blinded, princess, but _you_ ran into _me_. And you spilt some of your probably tainted coffee on my shoes so be expecting a bill," he remarked back coldly.

This was the last straw for Brooke. She was fuming now. Screw the seamstress. Screw being nice. Screw her damn conscious trying to tell her to stop! Who the hell did he think he was?! Some king? Or just some jackass trying to make a huge deal about a small mistake? She would definitely go with the latter.

"What the fuck is your problem, Nathan?! It was one mistake! I already apologized!" She snapped.

"One mistake? That's all you think that was?"

Nathan just glared at her. One mistake? One fucking mistake? Ha! Over his dead body it was just one simple mistake. It was much more than that. It was a knife into his heart, a stab at his idea of love, the end of his world. How could she just stand there and say that it was just a mistake? This was no longer about the macchiato but about something much more…something that needed to be settled a long time ago…

"Yes! One mistake! We all make choices, Nathan, and sometimes we make the wrong ones. Some things you can't take back that haunt you for the rest of your life and are deemed mistakes. See, mistakes!"

Who did he think he was? Acting like he was some flawless god! Ha! She could name a whole list of things he had done wrong…and for him to just stand there and act like she was the most despicable thing alive. It infuriated her! She wished she could take what had happened back everyday…every single moment of every single day…and he accused of her of being some heartless fool!

"Well people usually have reasons for why they make mistakes! You know, explanations! But then again, the oafs usually don't own up to their actions but just run away like a coward…"

Her face turned a deathly white. _Just run away like a coward…_Is that how he saw her? A coward? He seriously thought that she would just run away without a reason? Nathan didn't even know…he didn't even know…

As the rush of emotion fumed through her body, Brooke's hand involuntarily went back then rushed forward, slapping the raven haired boy across his face. Hard.

She glared up at him. "You have no clue what went on that day, so don't you dare call me a fucking coward because from my perspective, you're the only coward in sight."

She turned swiftly on her heels and marched down the sidewalk but stopped short when she reached a waiting cab.

"Oh, and don't bother sending a bill. Those shoes are hideous anyway…"

Wow. Looks like Brooke Davis wasn't hiding anymore. Nathan rubbed his burning cheek as he watched the yellow cab drive away. She definitely had changed.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The car passed by rows and rows of trees, all differing in height and style. Little emerging branches to tall bushy green willows. Her eyes just gazed out, looking hollow and sad. Why had it turned out like this? So what, their only communication now was going to be through screaming and bitching? What happened to those days when they used to laugh endlessly until their ribs ached from shaking so hard? Those days when they used to just sit on the beach and watch the sunset, curled up in each others arms and whispering sweet phrases back and forth? Why had it turned out like this?

Brooke took in a deep breath. Why had it turned out like this? Well that was one question she really didn't know the answer to. Maybe it was her fault or maybe she could blame it on fate or God, but no matter what, she would never really know why it had turned this bad. She was trying to save him the heartache but instead it backfired…it backfired in her face. A single tear grazed the edge of her eye as the cab neared Daphne's Delicates, but Brooke quickly wiped it away before it could flee. Her life was filled with many things…fame, glamour, excitement, angst…but right now, emotion wasn't one of them. There wasn't any room for it. She stepped out into the gentle winds, pulling her light coat tighter around herself, trying to protect her heart from anymore pain…

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"…and she fucking slapped me! The nerve that girl has!" Nathan bellowed, pacing back and forth across the room while rambling to his blonde friend.

Peyton just sat there drinking her lemonade, trying her hardest not to burst out in a fit of giggles. Nathan was marching around in circles, and she could've sworn that a hole was going to form in the ground. His hair was disheveled not to mention that he kept on running his hands through it over and over again, just messing it up some more. His eyes were squinted and glaring around at narrow objects around the room, as if they were the culprits for his problems. To her, it was all just plain funny.

"She slapped you, huh?"

"Yes! God! Then she goes on with a retarded sermon about how I don't know a thing and that I'm a coward. And she's not even a preacher!"

A sermon? A preacher? The curly blonde couldn't take anymore. She exploded with laughter, angering the man in front of her some more.

"Is this funny to you, Peyt? Do you seriously find some entertainment in the mess called my life? Ugh, I knew I should've gone to Lucas!"

"I'm…so so…orry, Nate," she took a moment to regain her breath. "I'm really sorry, Nate, but the way you said it, it was just hilarious." She started laughing again.

He rolls his eyes. "Well I'm glad one of us enjoyed it."

Peyton instantly sobered up as she started at her sorrow friend.

"What's really going on, Nate? I know you're not this angry over her slapping you."

He remained silent, just staring at the blue bedspread, fingering the ruffles bordering it.

"She wanted a big house…a big white house with a red door and roses all around. She wanted a kitchen with a marble layout and all the latest cooking utensils even though she didn't know how to cook. She wanted to have a gym for me and a designing room just for her. There was going to be tons of bedrooms, for our many kids…brunettes with brown and blue eyes. The Scott family…What happened, Peyt? How is it that she is now decorating a house for me but not for the both of us? What happened to those dreams? To that big white house?" he whispered word after word, spilling his previously locked up thoughts.

"They died, Nate. The day she left, they disappeared. They are probably hidden in the depths of her heart…the whole big white house fantasy…but for her, they are just that. A fantasy. Not something to turn into reality."

He laughed cynically. "Yeah, well no one's to blame but herself. Like you said, she's the one who left."

Before Peyton could reply back, Nathan got up and left the room, walking to his comfort zone: the balcony.

He needed out. The resentment was starting to build up again. The inner turmoil churning within him. How could she have thrown those dreams away? How did she have it in her heart to just leave?

Nathan took in the soothing breeze and the cloudless sky. Love was supposed to be a joyous thing. Dreams were supposed to come true. And Brooke and he…they were supposed to end up together.

But love had ups and downs and not all dreams came true.

And Brooke and he…well they were just a mystery waiting to be solved.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**


	3. Chapter 3

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"_The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed; the thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, whose charms were broken if revealed." –Charlotte Bronte_

"_Pure love and suspicion cannot dwell together: at the door where the latter enters, the former makes its exit." –Alexandre Dumas Pere_

"_The more connections you and your lover make, not just between your bodies, but between your minds, your hearts, and your souls, the more you will strengthen the fabric of your relationship, and the more real moments you will experience together." –Barbara De Angelis_

"_Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children" –Bill Cosby_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nathan woke up to the sound of clatter and clanging. He looked to his right side at the alarm clock. 4:00 AM. What the heck?! Who was even up this early? He glanced over his shoulder and saw that his fiancé was sleeping soundly, not affected by the racket downstairs.

"Ugh god, shut the fuck up!" he grumbled into his fluffy Ralph Lauren pillow.

But the clamor continued. Did Home Makeover come this morning or something? He couldn't take it anymore. Nathan jumped out of the bed, not bothering to put on a t-shirt, his appearance being the last thing on his mind right then.

He stormed down the stairs, curious to who was giving him hell this early in the morning…

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Damn it!" Brooke squealed as a line of mannequins tumbled down like dominos, one right after another.

Twenty-five different shades and styles of fabrics came that previous night for Brooke to scrutinize. She had thought it would be smart to put each one on a mannequin and decide from there. Unfortunately, her idea hadn't quite worked out the way she had wanted it to. She started at the array of expensive fabrics all tangled up in each other, just lying on the floor as if they cost merely nothing. This was harder than she had expected. But before she could try to fix her disaster, the sound of footsteps and a pissed off voice stopped her.

"What in the world is going on?!"

She rolled her eyes. What did it look like she was doing? She turned around to face her ex-lover with attitude but the sight dried up all the words in her mouth. He was shirtless, his nicely chiseled body in full view. He had unquestionably been working out hard since high school. But then again, he was on the NBA. With the messy dark locks, the irritated look and the exposed abs, Nathan was certainly good for the eyes, or at least her eyes. She definitely wasn't complaining.

He let out a cynical smirk. "I know I'm hot and all, but it's kind of rude to stare. I thought you of all people would know that, Brooke."

Cockiness. The state of being overly self-assertive or self-confident. Aka, being a self-centered arrogant bastard who needs to have his no-good-for-nothing ass kicked. Definitely not attractive.

Brooke rolled her eyes again. "In your dreams…Sorry, babe, but I definitely wasn't checking you out. Actually, I was thinking about how indecent and inappropriate you look. How would precious Nadia feel if she knew her flawless fiancé was walking around in his boxers in front of the decorator she hired for her new house?"

Sarcasm was dripping from her words as she crossed her arms and kinked her eyebrow, ready for him to retaliate back.

Nathan sighed. He hadn't come here to have another fight with the brunette leaning on the couch.

"Look, Brooke, I just want some sleep. I have practice all day today, and I really need some rest. So, can you just turn it down with whatever the heck you are doing?" he pleaded, weariness evident in his voice.

She immediately softened. He did look tired. "I'm deciding on the patterns."

"Come again?" Patterns? Huh?

"I'm trying to decide on the patterns for the curtains. Nadia wanted brown and gold, and there's a lot of brown and gold. There's silk, cotton, nylon, polyester. And then you have the designs. You have plain, bordered, lace trim, rope trim―"

"Let me see," he whispered, cutting her rant off.

She was taken aback. He wanted to see? Just the other day he seemed as if he could care less about the house never the less what color the curtains were.

Nathan gave her a small grin. "You just gonna stand there like a shocked ice sculpture or am I actually going to be able to see these designs?"

"Come on," Brooke responded. A dimpled smile spread across her face, as she motioned for him to follow her. "Oh, and by the way, I don't look like an ice sculpture. I'm definitely hotter than that."

He let out a throatily laugh as he walked behind her, shaking his head slightly. She might've changed after all these years, but you still couldn't take the vivacious Brooke-ness out of her…

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nadia opened her eyes slowly, the bright yellow rays streaming through the bedroom window directly into her eyes. Definite Ouch. She rolled over in the bed, expecting to see her lover sleeping right beside her but instead he was standing up, changing into basketball shorts and a t-shirt. She instantly sat up, a bewildered expression plastered on her face.

"Baby, what are you doing? It's still morning. Come back to bed."

Nathan looked up from his busy state and gave his fiancé's sleepy face a quick kiss on the lips.

"Morning, Nad. I have practice in ten minutes, and I'm running really late. Reschedule for tonight?"

She let out a long drawn out sigh. Practice Practice Practice. Is that the only thing he cared about? Whenever she wanted to do something…go to the movies together or take a walk in the park or go to a party…he always had practice. Something she wished she could come first before all his basketball nonsense. But then again, wishes didn't always come true.

"Fine. Tonight. Have fun," she leaned up and gave Nathan another kiss before he disappeared out of sight.

Collapsing back in bed, Nadia was full of questions. What to do…what to do…there was a sale at Bloomingdales…or she could buy that new dress she saw at Saks…Jessica had called her over to have a girls day out―

Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

Guess fate already planned out her morning activities. Nadia jumped out of bed and made her way downstairs, clad in Victoria's Secret Pink pajamas. However, someone else had already beaten her to the door. Instead of intervening immediately, she watched the sight. Curious to why the two were getting along so well…

"Luke!" Brooke cried as she enveloped him into a huge hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Morning, Pretty Girl. Do I need a reason to see my fabulous best friend?" he joked.

Pretty Girl? Best friend? What in the world was he talking about? They met only a few days ago…why the sudden closeness? Oh my god…no! They couldn't be having an affair, right? That would explain the peck on the cheek and the lingering of the hug…

"Of course not! You are welcome at all times," she said, giving him a wink. "How's the blonde whore doing?"

"My wife's good, Brooke. Thanks for asking. Now, what are you doing up this early? You're never up this early."

Winking? Blonde whore? There definitely was something going on. She didn't know what, but there was certainly something. He knew her sleep routine for crying out loud! No guy knows that unless he is either screwing her or visiting her quite often! And what type of guy is he if he lets some random girl call his wife a blonde whore? Nadia was appalled! What type of brother did Nathan have? And what was going on between Brooke who was supposed to be one of the most prestigious, well-mannered ladies and Lucas who was already married to his high school sweetheart?

"Lucas!" Nadia cried as she made her way to the front entrance, surprising both the blonde and brunette in front of her, as they immediately ended all forms of physical contact. "It's so good to see you!"

Nadia Sharp. In Lucas' opinion, she was a gorgeous, sweet girl. Not the brightest of the bunch but had an amazing personality. Was she good enough for Nathan though? Absolutely not. Only one person was and that was the brunette standing right beside him.

"Nadia! So good to see you, too. I just came by to see if Nathan was around. I forgot to give him something he needed for practice."

Oh god. Not again. Was practice the only thing guys talked about these days?

She plucked on a sympathizing look. "He just left two minutes ago, Luke. You just missed him. I would go drive it over, but I'm heading over to Jessica's."

"I can't either. I have a doctor's appointment…―"

"I'll do it," Brooke offered.

The other two head whipped around in her direction, definitely surprised by her proposition.

Nadia instantly softened up. How could she have thought Brooke Davis would be having an affair? I mean, the girl was so sweet and generous! To give up her morning to go give Nathan something for basketball practice. Ah, the hated word. She was an idiot for thinking of such things.

"Are you sure, Brooke? I mean, I know how boring basketball is, and I know you have tons of work to do," Nadia asked.

Brooke gave a small chuckle. "Nah, I'll be fun. I've never been to an NBA training gym before. And besides, the seamstress is right by that road."

Lucas scrutinized the brunette's face. Something was different. Just the other day his brother was making her cry her heart out. Why the sudden happiness or desire? He would have to get Peyton to investigate. Chic flick, carton of ice cream and some gossip would reveal it all.

"Yah, I think Brooke should go. I mean, Nathan really needs these papers."

Brooke smiled. Contraire to popular belief she actually did like watching Nathan play ball. "Okay, it's settled then."

"Yup, it's settled."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Lawson, pass it to Scott! Nice play guys! Good teamwork…Lawson, you have to keep your eyes more open and stop hogging the ball. Scott, come over here," the coach of the New York Knicks bellowed out.

Nathan ran to the sidelines, sweat dripping from his forehead, him panting heavily.

"What's up, Coach?"

"There's something different about you today. What is it?"

"Excuse me?" Nathan was taken aback by the question.

"There's something different about your game today. You haven't missed one shot. You seem extra happy. It's a new look for you and I like it. So, what's the cause for this change?"

The young raven-haired man chuckled. "It's just been a good day. I―"

"Nathan!"

Both jerked their heads around to see a gorgeous brunette dressed in a green Juicy Couture dress with a white pearl Chanel necklace and a matching pair of white Chanel sunglasses coming their way.

"Brooke? What are you doing here?" Nathan questioned, very flabbergasted at the sight in front of him.

"Luke said that you left these papers at his place, so I thought I would bring them over," she replied, smiling at the two men.

"Oh, the contract papers! I totally forgot I left them there…thanks a lot, B."

Coach Patterson cleared his throat, not liking being the oblivious to the conversation.

Nathan instantly was brought back into reality. "Oh, where are my manners. Brooke, this is my coach. Coach Patterson, this is Brooke Davis. She's designing the house for Nadia and me."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Davis. I've heard quite a lot of good things about your designing techniques from some of my friends."

She gave him a huge dimpled smile. This was the guy who had helped make Nate's dream come true. She owed him more than the world.

"The pleasure is all mine, sir," she sweetly said. "Well, Nate, I'll see you later after practice. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Patterson."

She turned around to leave, but in that moment Nathan only saw one thing. He saw her slipping away…disappearing like she had all those years ago.

"Wait! Brooke!" he screamed out. She whipped her head around, cocking her head slightly to the side. "Do you want to watch for a bit?"

Her eyes started twinkling, and her heart started racing, mirroring the Brooke from the high school years.

"I'd love to."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

He couldn't concentrate. That asshole was flirting with her, and she was flirting right back. Did this look like a freaking hook up party? He watched as she leaned back, her laughter echoing across the gym, her long voluptuous chocolate wavy locks cascading down her back. And all this was for _him_. Stupid Jeffery Lawson. Asshole.

"Scott! Get your ass over here!" Coach yelled, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

Nathan dragged his feet over near the bleachers on which Brooke and "the ass" were sitting.

"Yes, Coach?" he grumbled.

"What the heck is going on? One minute you're playing like a pro, the next you're missing every single shot."

"Nothing, okay?" he snapped.

Coach Patterson raised an eyebrow. Did he seriously just talk to him like that?

"Scott, go run two miles. Then, maybe you can get that stick out of your ass and actually play like you deserve it."

"Stick up my ass?! Are you fucking kidding me? That idiot isn't even playing and just sitting there flirting with some random chic," pointing to Larson and Brooke, "but noooo, I'm the one with the stick up my ass! You know what, I'm done!"

Nathan slammed the door shut as he ran out of the gym, furious like scorching fire from the depths of hell. Looks like someone hit a nerve.

"Nathan! Nathan Royal Scott! Stop right there!"

Nathan jerked around to see a livid Brooke who must've followed him out of the gym. He just rolled his eyes and continued to walk away.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!" she screamed.

"Oh, you mean like you did to me?!" he countered.

Brooke stopped in her tracks, a hurt expression crossing her face.

"What's going on with you, Nate? I thought that this morning we were getting along that we were actually starting to be―"

"What? Friends?" he spit out, like the word was venom.

"Yeah…friends…." She whispered. "Why are you suddenly acting like a self-absorbed jerk? This isn't you!"

"Yeah and I thought running away wasn't your thing either but I guess we were proven wrong. Why did you even run away, huh? Was it to flirt with random guys? Was I not good enough? Did you need a better lay? Or did the slut want more guys? I mean, once a whore always a whore right?"

Every word spoken cut deeper and deeper into her heart, breaking her soul piece by piece. She felt like she had been slapped, or even worse, like her heart was yanked out of her. Tears of melancholy and anguish poured down her face one by one as she stared at the monster in front of her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"I can't have children. I'm unable to bear any children because of my accident during senior year. That's why I left. I did it for you. I wanted you to have all those dreams…the NBA title, the large happy family, the huge white house…I left for you," she whispered, each word holding so much emotion.

Brooke broke into a fit of tears as she darted in the opposite direction, running as far as she could, trying to leave the past pains that finally came out. Her secret…the one thing that hadn't been spoken of to anyone in over six years was finally revealed.

He fell to his knees, tears running down his own face, as the realization hit.

The truth was finally out.

And both Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott couldn't run away from it any longer.

Guess life isn't as pretty as it seems.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"_To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness." –Woody Allen_

"_The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith." –Bertrand Russell_

"_There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, who won't anymore, and who always will. So don't worry about people from your past, there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future." –Anonymous_

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

A secret. One thing that is kept hidden from the world. One thing that has so much power. One little thing that can change the perfect lives of two people in just one second.

Avoidance. The act of keeping away from someone else in fear or in regret. The exact thing two very people were doing that morning in the household of Christina Sharpe.

"You know you can't keep on hiding in the nearest room every time he walks by," Lucas said as he entered his best friend's room.

"And why not?" Brooke retorted, not bothering to turn her head around.

"Umm…because the two of you need to talk."

Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed, lethal rays of venom shooting out towards the blonde.

"Talk? You seriously want me to talk to him? Do you remember the recap I so desperately spilled to you last night or have you had a momentary lap of judgment?"

Lucas shifted nervously from foot to foot, wishing hardest not to explode the Brooke bomb. The secret had finally been revealed to both Peyton and himself the previous day, and it would be an understatement to say that both of them were shocked. More like speechless and chocking with astonishment. Never in their lives would they have thought that that was the reason for which Brooke Davis fled Tree Hill.

"I plead momentary insanity?" he finally said, the statement coming out more like a question.

"Good job. At least one Scott knows what to say." She turned her head back around and continued to type furiously on her Blackberry. "Ugh, never ever become an interior decorator. You have to deal with stupid, incompetent people who don't know the difference between silk and rayon. I mean is it that hard? One's extremely smooth and the other isn't!"

Lucas hid a laugh before it escaped out into the open. Before he could reply back, though, there was a knock at the door.

"Brooke? Are you in there? It's Nadia."

The brunette and the blonde both froze at the voice. Neither had talked about how the secret and how their past would affect Nadia. Would she be mad? Would she kick Brooke from the job? Or would she kick Brooke's ass? Would she end the engagement? Maybe not telling her was the best thing after all…

"Come in, Nadia," Brooke called out.

The door opened, revealing the red-head, all decked out in an elegant garden party dress.

"Hi! I just wanted to tell you that Mother, Peyton, and I are heading out to attend a party for one of our friends. Lucas is coming, too, and I just wanted to know if you wanted to accompany us?"

Brooke slightly smiled. The elaborate dresses and the frequent parties reminded her of high school when her mother used to tour her around from friend to friend showing them how beautiful her daughter was. But that was like a lifetime ago and right now, the last thing Brooke needed was to be transported back into her high school years.

"Thanks for the offer, Nadia, but I have a lot of work still to do so I think I'm just going to stay here. You guys have fun though."

"Okay, if you insist. Come on, Lucas. Everyone's waiting downstairs." Lucas followed his future sister-in-law as he gave the brunette a huge and a wave goodbye.

As the door closed shut, Brooke couldn't help but let out a sigh. Life was getting so stressful and complicated verses its previous serenity and simplicity. When had it all changed?

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

"Lucas, don't take this the wrong way, but what the hell is going on with you and my employee?" Nadia asked as she laid back against the smooth seat of the black Mercedes. Peyton and her mother decided to take another car just incase one of them wanted to leave early. And Nadia found the arrangement the perfect time to express her true feelings to Lucas.

The blonde slammed on the breaks as he heard the red head's comment, causing the car to almost loose control.

"Excuse you?!" he bellowed, not caring that six other cars were blaring their horns at his reckless driving.

"Damn it, Luke! Are you trying to get us killed?! If you haven't realized this dress is a Chanel original meaning that it costs more than your face, so I would appreciate it if you paid more attention to the road."

"What do you mean what's going on with me and Brooke?" he asked again, ignoring her jibe.

Nadia just rolled her eyes. "Are you sleeping with her or not? I rather skip the small talk."

Lucas just started at her incredulously. "What?!!? Are you fucking kidding me? I'm married!"

"So is half the population but they are still having affairs. It's not like its illegal or anything."

"I can't seriously believe you are accusing me of cheating on my wife. I'll have you know that I love Peyton with all my heart, and I would never in a million years cheat on her. Ever."

"Yeah, I thought that, too, before I saw how chummy you and Brooke seem to be. You've known each other what…a week or so? And you're giving her hugs, kissing her cheek, and don't even deny coming out of her room the other day at 3:00 a.m. I saw it with my own two eyes."

Lucas looked down in his lap. He had come out of Brooke's room but that was because she was crying her heart out because of Nadia's _fiancé_. Maybe he wasn't the one who needed to be interrogated.

"We're friends, Nadia. And I sure as hell don't need to be explaining what I do throughout the day to you. Peyton knows we are friends, and she's fine with it. I'm not having an affair with Brooke, so I advise you to stop snooping in my business."

She glared at him. How despicable of a creature! She despised cheaters but she loathed liars way more. Did he seriously think he could fool Nadia Alexandria Sharpe?

The car suddenly came to a stop at a magnificent building, the entrance filled with butlers and other elite individuals, including a glowing Peyton and a sour-looking Christina. Nadia got out of the car before Lucas could even attempt to open the door for her. She turned back, though, before she joined her mom.

"Oh, by the way, Nathan doesn't deserve a cheating, lying, two faced brother like you. He would never in a million years cheat on someone, especially his wife. So I advise you to stop whatever the hell is going on or else leave. I don't want an outcast in society attending _my_ wedding."

With that, she gave him another withering look and joined the other residences near the door. Contraire to popular belief, though, her judgment of her fiancé was going to take a toll real soon.

**000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Nathan stared at the multicolored bottles in front of him. Grey Goose Vodka. Casa Noble Tequila. Jack Daniel's. Crown Royal. Smirnoff. Absolut Vodka. His goal? To get exceedingly drunk into the point of oblivion. As he started pouring some tequila into a cup, he heard footsteps descending the stairs. Turning around he came face to face with the last person he wanted to see.

Hazel met sapphire as both just stared into each other's eyes, regret radiating from his as hurt poured from hers. Neither said a word for what seemed like an eternity, their powerful gaze not yet broken.

"I―I should umm….I should go back upstairs," she finally whispered, stuttering from the ongoing awkwardness.

Brooke turned around to head back into her safety zone, but was beckoned back by Nathan.

"Stay."

She kinked her eyebrow and whipped her head around, obviously taken aback by his comment.

"What?"

"Stay. I mean, we're the only ones in the house and I know how much you love Strawberry Smirnoff and we have plenty. Plus….we need to talk. About yesterday."

He needed to apologize. For yesterday, for the past six years, for her thinking that he wouldn't have loved her because she couldn't have kids.

Even though the offer was extremely tempting, Brooke couldn't help but scoff. He wanted to talk? Umm, no thanks.

"I think that's a bad idea, Nathan."

"Bad idea? I think this whole fucking arrangement is a bad idea, Brooke," he grumbled as he drowned his whole cup, the russet liquid burning his throat as it traveled downward.

"Well, what do you want me to do? Quit? FYI, Nathan, this wasn't my idea! I never for one second wanted to be in the position where I was in between you and your fiancé!"

It was his turn to sneer. "Well, Princess, it's a bit late for that, huh?"

"Gosh, do you know how big of an ass you are? One conceited idiotic ass!" The brunette was screaming by now, not caring if everyone in the whole fucking planet heard.

"And you're a bitch! A bitch who won't even accept a damn apology! I'm sorry, Brooke, okay?! I'm so sorry." His voice turned into a whisper as he said the last part, the reality of the situation shinning at last.

And in response, she did the last thing he would have ever imagined.

She started crying.

Tears started pouring as her petite figure started shaking from the extreme emotion.

So he did the only thing he knew how to do.

He enveloped her in his strong arms, right there in the kitchen surrounded by various alcohol beverages, letting her tears soak into his white polo as he too started forming tears in his own eyes.

"I can't believe you said that I would leave you because I wanted sex…I can't believe you…" her cries echoed in Nathan's ears as he continued to massage her back

"Shh, baby…I swear I didn't mean them…I swear. I just was hurt. I'm sorry, Brooke," he whispered back, kissing her gently on her forehead.

It was her turn to look up, her face just a few inches from his. "No, Nathan, I'm sorry. I should have told you. I was just scared and hurt and I wanted what was best for you and―"

"―and that would've been you. I didn't need the children or the big white house or the basketball career or whatever the heck we dreamed about, Brooke. I just needed you because I loved you and you were the only thing that mattered to me most in the world. All I wanted was you."

Then, without thinking, she closed the gap between them and captured his lips in a searing kiss. Instantly, Nathan reciprocated, his hands slowly encircling Brooke's waist to bring her closer to him. It didn't matter that he was engaged or that she was their interior designer. All that mattered was that she, Brooke Davis, was all he wanted. In the past and right then.

Avoidance. The act of keeping away from someone else in fear or in regret. Something that one day has to be broken.

Things in the Sharpe household just got a lot more tangled.

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End file.
